Father's Day Gift Guide

Its almost fathers day so I figured I would make a list of some of my favorite tools and clothes for some gift ideas.

A gift that is good for your man but that will also pay dividends for you is the GreenWorks powerwasher. I use it on my trucks and Peyton loves it when I clean the outdoor furniture and porches with it. Everyone is happy! It is easy to use with four different nozzles for different pressure washing situations. 

GreenWorks 

2200 Power Washer

To keep your man cleaning and greening up the outside of your house get him some loppers from Fiskars. The powergear loppers are a must have and can power through thick branches in no time. I have a pair in my truck and its a must have. Every homewoner should have a Fiskars lopper hanging on the wall. 

Fiskars Loppers

For some new gear I love Vuori clothing they have everything from bathing suits and shorts to t-shirts and sweatshirts. They even have womens clothing that Peyton loves! The bathing suits and workout shorts have a great fit and are stylish. 

For some new kicks that can transition from beach to bar I love the Sanuk line. They are comfortable and casual. For me I wear them with everything from jeans to bathing suits. 

Sanuk Kicks

If you want to go custom gift there are many places out there that can make one for you. Rustic Marlin is a local Massachusetts company that made me a custom Cape Cod USA wooden flag and can make you a custom piece to finish off any man cave or room. 

Rustic Marlin 

Just a few gift ideas to help you out this Father's Day. Hope you have agreat one!

Lawn and Order

I was lucky enough to work with Sara Bendrick from DIY Network's "I Hate My Yard" for a new landscaping show entitled "Lawn and Order." Together, Sara and I teamed up to bring much needed curb appeal to houses that desperately needed it. I hope you tune in for the premier on May 12th on the DIY Network. For more info head over to DIY Network and check out Lawn and Order here. 

The Today Show

My April 4 Today Show Segment

I love doing live tv. It is a rush like no other knowing there are no takes or second chances. That being said, going on the Today Show with a seasoned pro like Matt Lauer makes it easier. I was originally going to do the segment outside on the plaza amogst the fans but the weather had other ideas. 

The layout of the segment

The list of my topics:

1. Planning: Spring is the time to plan and organize your garden and planting plan. If you are going to make a new planting bed or add to existing you can research what plants will fit in the area. Make sure to take into account size and wether its a sun or shade spot in the yard. 

2. Planting Pots: My favorite take away tip was putting plastic bottles in the bottom of pots. When planting annuals: like herbs, veggies or pansys you do not need too much room for root growth. These plants only will grow for one year so typically only need 6-10 inches of space for roots. So by adding the plastic bottles into the bottom you arent going to harm the plant. It actually has many benefits. It makes the pot lighter, thus easier to move. It allows for drainage. It will save you money by not over-using potting soil. 

3. Painting the pots: Clay or plastic pots can be expensive and older ones start to look beaten up after a few years of use. You can spruce them up by adding a coat of paint to them. This adds another dimension of color and a second life to those pots. 

4. Seedlings: Starting your veggie and herb garden from seed will save you money and its a fun way to start your garden inside. I used plastic egg cartons, filled them with potting soil, and planted each row with a different veggie. Close the lid and you have a mini greenhouse! Just add water when you see it dry out and wait for the veggies to sprout. 

5. Composting: The best way to fertilize your garden, keep waste out of the trash and have an all natural garden. 

6. Trimming and pruning: using the right tools is step one and the best around are from Fiskars. Make a sharp 45 degree angle cut to ensure the cut doesn't get diseased. Make sure you double check that you are pruning your plants at the right time of the year. If you prune at the wrong time then you could be cutting off flowers!!

7. Mulch: The perfect finishing touch to any planting bed. It adds color,  a great smell, helps keep down weeds and as it breaks down it adds nutrients to the plants. 

What to expect in 2017

I am excited for 2017 for many reasons with the most important being the arrival of my daughter, Lyla James Lambton! I hope to get more blogs up this year so check back often. If you have any topics you wish me to write about please contact me and let me know. I will also be touring around doing Home and Garden shows so check out my schedule and come out and meet me. Bring your questions and backyard ideas!

I am also lucky to get to continue to work with great brands. Peyton and I have worked with GreenWorks tools for two years now and their products are amazing. Their tools make landscaping easier and the best part no gas required! Wether you only need a 40volt, 60volt or the commercial grade 82 volt there is a line to fit your landscaping needs. Once you try their products you will wonder why you ever had gas powered tools.

As a landscaper I have a need for battery powered tools like GreenWorks and muscle powered tools like Fiskars. Their line of loppers, axes, shovels, hammers and gardening equipment make a landscaper or gardeners job that much easier. The toughtest made tools in the business that are always ready to get the job done. Check out their website for blogs written by me!

I am also in development with a new landscaping show for HGTV and DIY network. I have heard how much people want more landscaping shows so I am here to help! Stay tuned in for details of when it will be on air. 

Fiskars: Project Orange Thumb Recipient

I am lucky to get to work with Fiskars. Not only do they make amazing tools (check them out here) but they give back to the community. The Project Orange Thumb is a community garden grant program that has given away over $1.6 million dollars to more than 180 community groups since 2002. That is how you give back. The application process starts later this year and the awards are given out in the Spring of the following year. For more info on Project Orange Thumb check it out here.

As you can see my shed is stocked with almost the entire Fiskars tool collection! The recipients of the Project Orange Thumb get tools and money to help with their projects. 

One of the winners of this years Project Orange Thumb grant is the Just Garden Project which is run by the nonprofit Seattle Tilth located in Seattle, Washington. 

"The Just Garden Project run by the nonprofit Seattle Tilth is dedicated to fighting hunder and food insecurity in King County, Wash., by building gardens with and for low-income families providing them with organic gardening education and support. With the help of their Project Orange Thumb grant, Just Garden will provide tools to community gardeners at no cost and will reach their goal of building enough garden beds for 80 families. This volume of garden beds has the capability of producing $40,000 of fresh vegetables every year, allowing low-income households to eat healthier and be more self-sufficient."

As you can see from the picture below the Just Garden project used the Fiskars tools and their great volunteers to complete more garden beds. 

New raised planters ready to be planted thanks to great volunteers and Fiskars tools!

This is just the type of community organization that Project Orange Thumb was created to help. If your community organization wants to apply for the Project Orange Thumb, the application process opens later this year and is open to non-profits across the US and Canada! I look forward to reading your application. Happy gardening!!

Compassionate Care ALS Gala

For the seventh year in a row I will be running the New Balance Falmouth Road Race on August 21st in honor of my late mother Marjorie Lambton. She battled ALS for many courageous years with the help of Ron Hoffman and his organization CCALS. If you wish to donate to my running in her honor please donate here. 

My wife Peyton and I will also be attending the Compassionate Care ALS Gala in Boston on May 20, 2016. If you wish to join us to fight this terrible disease you can purchase tickets here for the event. It will be a wonderful event hosted by Natalie Jacobson and will take place at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. 

Thank you for your support in the battle against ALS. 

Fiskars Project Orange Thumb

Once again I am proud to be a part of Fiskars Project Orange Thumb. Now through February 1, 2016, if you live in US or Canada, you can apply for one of 30 grants that Fiskars will give out. These grants will help community groups with beautification, community collaboration and healthy, sustainable food sources. Fiskars has donated over 1.6 million dollars to more than 180 community groups since 2002 through Project Orange Thumb. 

If you want to apply click ProjectOrangeThumb and you may be one of the 30 lucky groups to receive over $3,500 in cash and Fiskars tools to help you in your project. 

Good luck and if you have any questions email me! Happy Gardening!

Fiskars: Project Orange Thumb Update and Winners

At the start of the year I was asked to join the Project Orange Thumb program with Fiskars. This initiative is meant to contribute to community gardening and the healthy, sustainable living. The program awards cash and garden tools to help support community garden goals across North America. This year 30 awards were given out and I was lucky enough to help choose the winners. If you are interested to see the winners click here: Winners

One of the winners was from my hometown of Cape Cod, MA. The lucky recipients were the Falmouth Public schools. Lynn VanEtta spearheaded the request to help transform their school and creat a "Kinder-Garden Labyrinth of Learning".  "The Project Orange Thumb funds were used for many parts of our garden project from plants, to wood, to soil, to hoses, to the labyrinth," says Lynn.

Here is a before picture of their space: 

Falmouth Teaticket School Before Pic

......and with some Fiskars tools and lots of help from the teachers.....

Faculty and Fiskars working hand in hand....

Look at what the space has turned into......a place where students and faculty can learn and get their hands dirty together!!!

"It was wonderful to have the funds and tools from Project Orange Thumb to use for our project. The funds enabled us to really get our project underway.  Our garden areas produced nicely and we are excitedly planning for a dedication day in early October." Lynn VanEtta

That's why I love working with Fiskars. They give back to the communities and help ensure that the next generation will love to get their hands dirty and keep their communities looking beautiful.

If you want more information about this Falmouth School project click here and more info about Fiskars click here. 

Thanks and I look forward to hearing all the success stories from next years winners!!!

Wake Up With Al on the Weather Channel

Peyton and I returned to the Wake Up With Al morning show on the Weather Channel. We love appearing on the show even though it is so early in the morning. If you do not tune into it I highly recommend it. Al Roker and Stephanie Abrams are not only extremely knowledgeable about the weather but are both hilarious too!

This segment we talked about one of my favorite topics small space and container gardening. Most people have soil issues where they live wether its too sandy (me on Cape Cod), rocky, full of clay or whatever else the issue may be. The easy way around this is to plant in containers. This way you can make sure that the soil has all the nutrients that your plants need to grow. 

We had some great products to show off for small space gardening. The Mini farm box is an all cedar raised planter that comes on wheels so once its planted its still easy to move around. The Gardener's Best Grow Bags are a lightweight, colorful planter option. For the beginners out there with no space at all the Urban Jungle Veggie Garden Basket is a great starter kit or gift to bring out someone's inner green thumb. If you are looking for a chic update on the tradition hanging basket look no further than the Zinc Sphere hanging baskets from Terrain. I loved the herb tower from Williams-Sonoma. It can hold 17 small plants so its great to grow a variety of herbs in a small space. 

Falmouth Road Race for Compassionate Care ALS

For the sixth consecutive year I am running the Falmouth Road Race to raise money for ALS. My mother, Marjorie Lambton, passed away just over six years ago from this horrible disease. Each year I run in her honor to raise money for Compassionate Care ALS CCALS the organization that helped my mom and entire family so much. If you wish to donate to my page click the link here or if you want to donate to my wife Peyton's page click here. On behalf of my family and everyone battling ALS thank you so much for your support.

If you or someone you know is battling this disease and you need resources or information CCALS and its founder Ron Hoffman will be there to help. 

 I will post pics after the race!

HGTV Magazine the Men of HGTV

If you pick up a copy of this months HGTV magazine you will see that I made the men of HGTV list. Yeah I am pretty excited about that!!!!! Here is the HGTV Manual cover:

View fullsize

And if you look further inside the magazine I even get a full page spread!

Fiskars Partnership

I am excited to be able to partner with such a great company like Fiskars. Here is the press release annoucing our partnership. It is a natural fit as they make amazing lawn and yardcare equipment. I have started writing articles that you can find on their website. One of my favorite articles I have written so far is how to build a raised planter which you can read by clicking here. You will even see a picture of our dog Summitt in the article. Keep checking the Fiskars website for new blog posts from me!

Good Morning America

For the first time, Peyton and I were able to be on ABC's Good Morning America.

We first taped a segment that has been posted on their website about YardPrep101: must have tools and tips. We showed off some great products from Fiskars and Lowes that make yard prep easy and fun!

The live segment was so much fun. We did a true/false game called Rose (true) or Thorn (false) a fun play on our Bachelor and Bachelorette days. Lara Spencer was our game show host (and she is a a fellow HGTV and DIY Network host on Flea Market Flip). 

It ended up being a tie but I hope everyone got some good content out of it and had fun at the same time. Hopefully it won't be our last time on the show. If you missed it click here to watch!

Wake Up With Al show on the Weather Channel

On Monday morning March 2nd, I went on the Wake Up With Al show on The Weather Channel. It is such a fun show to go on even though it's an early wake up time. Starting your day with Al Roker and Stephanie Abrams is as fun as it looks. I even brought my dad, Ed, along and got him on TV!

The winter and early spring is Home and Garden show season, and I have been lucky enough to go to a few shows. They are great places to scout for new products and trends. 

The first item I talked about was the Fiskars Power Gear 2 loppers. These are an essential tool for anyones outdoor maitenance arsenal. They have more power than any other loppers making it easier to trim all the broken branches the winter has left you with. 

I was walking around the Knoxville Home and Garden show and I saw these GreenStalk stackable container gardens. I knew I had to talk about these as urban farming and container gardening are such hot trends right now. This product can hold up to 90 plants and you are only taking up less than two feet of space! 

Curb appeal is so important with houses. It is the first impression people get when walking into your house. This door hardware by Emtek is just the way to brighten up your front door and kick up the curb appeal. 

It has been a long, cold winter for much of the country. I have cut and split lots of firewood to heat my house. The GreenWorks battery powered chainsaw helped me accomplish this task. It will make 200 cuts on one charge and you don't have to worry about gas!

When CapeCod had a three day blizzard this winter I got to brag about how many steps I walked while clearing out driveways and homes. I walked almost 40,000 steps!!! The FitBit makes it fun to compete with friends and family and it checks your heart rate too. 

It was a fun morning segment. If you missed it click here and check it out. 

Hope you enjoyed it and if you have products you think I would like or have fun with email me! Think Spring!

And the Fiskars Project Orange Thumb winners are....

I had the task of reading through the 50 semi finalists for the Fiskars Project Orange Thumb award and choosing the 30 organizations that would recieve the cash and garden tool grant. It was extremely difficult as all 50 semi finalists were deserving of the award. The winners are from all over the US and Canada and this Fiskars grant is going to help beautify many communities. Check out the complete list of winners by clicking on the link         

http://www2.fiskars.com/Community/2015-Project-Orange-Thumb-Grant-Recipients

Now comes the fun part watching these communities and organizations work together to make their neighborhoods and schools more beautiful. Check back for updates and pictures.

Dogwood Arts Home and Garden Show in Knoxville, TN

I got to go to the home of Scripps Networks including HGTV and DIY Networks and present at the Dogwood Home and Garden festival along with fellow landscaper and host Jason Cameron. I love getting to come back to Tennessee, which is the home state of my wife, Peyton. She went to University of Tennessee and is a proud Vol. Knoxville is such a fun city with great restaurants and bars featuring southern cuisine. Peyton and I went out to some amazing restaurants while we were here, Knox Mason, Tupelo Honey and The Grill at Highlands Row. I recommend a visit!

Fiskars Project Orange Thumb

I am lucky to be working with Fiskars on their Orange Thumb project. Fiskars presents 30 grants to organizations to help revitalize or build gardens in their schools or communities. I am happy to be able to help choose and work with some of the winners as they help transform their communities!